Conventional methods for detecting and correcting data errors generally attempt to detect and correct such errors by transmitting redundant data. The redundant data is sent across a communications channel that is implemented to validate the data following a reception of the data. Examples of conventional redundant data detection/correction systems include cyclic redundancy check (CRC), checksum, and forward error correction (FEC). Since conventional methods operate after reception of the complete data packet or frame construct, such conventional methods induce additional delay into communications channel recovery time when responding to such errors.
For conventional systems, an invalid character is generally transmitted as some other valid character. By transmitting a valid character, normal communications channel data protection mechanisms are less likely to detect the error.
Conventional methods implement inclusion of redundant data sent across a communications channel to validate the data following reception. Conventional systems transmit valid data or corrected data as valid characters and invalid (uncorrectable) data as valid or invalid characters. The normal communications channel data protection mechanisms (i.e., CRC, FEC, etc.) will detect the error and deal with the error properly. System protection mechanisms that are based only on transportation of redundant data are deficient with specific types of faults or corruptions of the data.